Oji Fibre Solutions officially celebrated its name change (from Carter Holt Harvey Pulp, Paper and Packaging) at a celebratory event in Auckland.
Yoshitaka Yokoyama, Consul General of Japan in Auckland, hosted the event, which included Steven Joyce, Minister for Economic Development. The minister gave a speech highlighting the importance of high quality investment for business confidence and economic growth. He noted Oji Holdings’ long-term commitment to New Zealand and the opportunities the new shareholder presents for introducing new technologies and innovation, creating more skilled jobs and increasing regional activity.
Kagami-wari in Auckland, from left: Hiroyuki Isono, chair of Oji Fibre Solutions; Yoshitaka Yokoyama, Consul General of Japan in Auckland; Toshihisa Takata, Japanese Ambassador to New Zealand; Steven Joyce,Minister of Economic Development; and Jon Ryder, chief executive Oji Fibre Solutions
The new name follows the sale of the business last year to a joint venture between Oji Holdings and Innovation Network Corporation of Japan. Oji’s investment in New Zealand dates back to 1971 with Pan Pac Forest Products. Soon after acquiring the Carter Holt Harvey pulp, paper and packaging business, the new shareholders announced a $30m upgrade to the Penrose Paper Bag manufacturing facility.
Oji Fibre Solutions says it has based the majority of its operations in New Zealand, employing over 1850 people including maintenance contractors. It produces Market Kraft pulp products are the Kinleith and Tasman mills as well as container board, which it also produce s at the recycling mill at Penrose in Auckland.
Eight packaging operations in New Zealand and Australia produce a range of corrugated board packaging products and paper bags, mainly for the horticulture and dairy industries. The business also includes the Fullcircle waste paper collection service and Lodestar logistic operations. It exports market pulps and container board to over 15 countries, while the majority of the packaging products got to domestic customers in Australia and New Zealand.
Oji Holdings, one of the largest companies in the global forest, paper and packaging sector, has its base in Japan, and has operations in China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, North and South America, and Europe, with over 31,000 employees on a consolidated basis.
